BMV fixes some computer problems, still working on others

Official says wait times at branches are lower now, too.

Official says wait times at branches are lower now, too.

June 22, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Numerous problems linked to a new computer system at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles have been fixed, but some remain, the agency's top official said Wednesday. "We're not there yet," said BMV Commissioner Ronald Stiver. The conversion last summer from an outdated mainframe computer to a new one called STARS was designed to be more secure, meet new federal ID requirements and enable the agency to verify data in a way the old system would not allow. The BMV said it was one of the largest, if not the largest, data conversions in state history and involved more than 250 million files. But there were numerous problems from the outset that led to long lines at branches, police having difficulty accessing accurate driver records, and county taxes not being distributed on time. Self-service terminals and online transactions were unavailable for some time, and some customers who mailed in transactions had data that did not match what was in the BMV's new system, so they had to visit a branch to get the problems resolved. That summer, Gov. Mitch Daniels and then-BMV Commissioner Joel Silverman apologized to many angry motorists through letters, e-mails and phone calls. The technical problems were blamed for delays in mailing license plate renewal notices early this year, and Stiver said some problems still exist. They include voiding some transactions, other record-keeping functions, and data issues that sometimes prevent the drivers of leased vehicles from conducting BMV business using self-service terminals or the Internet. There also are issues with commercial driver's licenses and continued problems linking all necessary data for some motorists in the new system. The initial system was expected to cost $32 million, but Stiver said the costs are now up to $38 million. "For a while, we were finding more things (problems) than we were fixing," he said, adding that the reverse is now true. He said 80 percent of 2,582 "issues" that had been identified have been addressed, and most of the rest should be corrected by the end of the year. Financial distributions to counties are up to date, he said, there has been significant improvement in back-office operations and overall timeliness at branches has been shortened. The average wait at branches -- which the bureau defines as the time between when people initially check in until their transaction is completed and paid for -- was 15 minutes in May, Stiver said. The waiting times do not include the time standing in line to check in with a branch worker. Stiver stressed that 15 minutes was the average. It was longer at some branches, and Stiver said the agency was striving for more consistency. The average waiting time as defined by the bureau was about 24 minutes in May 2006, BMV spokesman Greg Cook said.